Among a new generation of rowers tackling the three-day regatta, the novice women’s quad benefited from the weekend’s handicap component and showed off their improvements to top the overall standings.
‘We were surprised and absolutely delighted by the overall win,’ crew member Laura Pearson said.
‘The girls did really well. We started the weekend on a massive high, managing to finish second in the Guernsey to Herm, which really motivated us for the rest of the weekend.
‘We haven’t had a permanent cox all season so we are really grateful and lucky to have Ellie [Wilson] and Patrick [Carpentier] stand in for us this weekend, navigating the tricky courses amazingly.’
They had also switched around their rowers, with Jess Anderson the only other member to complete all three days, but Sophie Rabey, Rosie Lewis and Jo Siddall and an additional substitute featuring through the week.
The peaceful island of Herm harbours some deceptively difficult racing, including rocky and choppy sections that caught out even the more experienced rowers.
‘The Herm races have been some of the most interesting races we have done so far,’ Pearson added.
‘There are so many different elements to them – strong tides, whirlpools, narrow gaps to get through – making it really quite exciting.
‘I think we have made some of our biggest improvements this weekend from the social aspect as well.
‘We’ve had lots of people giving us tips on the courses or technique before and after the races, which has helped us massively.’
She also thanked the Guernsey Rowing Club committee for doing a ‘fantastic job’ organising the weekend.
You need to be logged in to comment.